When a medical system can’t provide needed care for patients who are continuously left out or ignored, what happens? What does a community do when they are aching for help? Well in the case of access to safe abortions, underground abortion networks are created. In this episode, we will be talking about the emergence of illegal but safe abortion networks within the United States over the last 60 years and what gaps they are trying to fill in the healthcare system. Through looking at abortion legislature, specific organizations, and the impact of unsafe abortions on maternal mortality, we hope to spark a conversation on why medicine is failing women and what we can do about it. No matter your abortion views, this episode will give you a new perspective on a complex women’s health issue to take with you into future conversations. 

Check out our Feminist Corner questions below to spark some thoughts as you listen!

• As future physicians, what can we do to make people with uteruses feel more comfortable seeking abortion care and make abortion more accessible?
• What do the emergence of underground abortion networks as alternative female healthcare systems say about the importance and need for female centered spaces in healthcare?